PS3 Hacks Force Infinity Ward to Rethink Game Security

[Logan Westbrook]

PS3 Hacks Force Infinity Ward to Rethink Game Security

Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2 are getting hacked to high heaven, and Infinity Ward says there's not a lot it can do about it.

The PS3 security problems aren't just Sony's headache; developers and publishers suffering, too. Call of Duty developer, Infinity Ward, says that it is feeling the effects of the hacks especially keenly, thanks to the popularity of the CoD series, and the experience has shown it that it can't rely just on platform security in the future.

Writing on the Infinity Ward forums [http://www.infinityward.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=371760&sid=080a30a809cd44ce730a2ea0e2ec495f], creative strategist and former community manager Robert Bowling acknowledged that there was a problem with hacked stats on the PS3. Unfortunately, he said there was very little that Infinity Ward could do, as the problem was not with the game, but with the platform itself. This meant that until Sony fixed the security problem, the hacking would continue. Bowling advised that people play in private matches with people that they knew until Sony re-secured the platform.

Infinity Ward isn't just washing its hands of the problem though. Bowling said that while Infinity Ward wasn't able to manually adjust or restore hacked stats at this time, it was exploring every possible avenue to help anyone affected. He also noted that this would only affect "legacy games" like Call of Duty 4 or Modern Warfare 2, and that future titles would employ security measures above and beyond the platform security.

This has got to be quite a blow, not just to Infinity Ward, but to Sony as well. Not only have the hacks opened the door for clever pirates, they're also threatening the integrity of the PS3's online multiplayer. The impact of gamers losing confidence in PSN could be quite severe for Sony, especially if it hopes to make a profit [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106422-Sony-PSN-Losing-Money-Right-Now-Next-Year-Should-Be-Better] on the service this year.

Source: via VG247 [http://www.vg247.com/2011/01/17/blame-mw2-hacks-on-compromised-ps3-security-says-infinity-ward/]


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[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Having played on both PSN and XBL, I have noticed that there seems to be a LOT more hacks happening on PSN, hence the reason I stick with XBL.
Sorry Sony.

 

[Ruairi iliffe]

Hmmm, seems to me the typical 'eggs in one basket' I'm accually a little shocked that they didnt have at least some sort of secondary security within the games.

 

[Jaranja]

Ah, someone was telling me about the hackers being abundant on the PS3. Thank god I have it on PC.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Firstly, ppl still play MW2?!

Second, Have any hacked PS3 done any good at all? and y i shouldn't just support Sony in their lawsuits against the "hackers?"

Just seems like nothing but bad news (to be fair, i'm pretty sure Microsoft have had to deal with these problems too, its just not made public too often)

Ah, someone was telling me about the hackers being abundant on the PS3. Thank god I have it on PC.

ironic you'd say that, from what i hear every other person on the PC version cheats in the game lol (guess thats not really related to the information hacking)

 

[Aphex Demon]

Dedicated Servers with admin rights would just sort the whole thing, done.

 

[acer840]

Ah, someone was telling me about the hackers being abundant on the PS3. Thank god I have it on PC.

I see what you did there.

OT: I like how they say they will help "anyone affected" once the PS3 becomes secure again.

What about the PC version. It feels like they abandoned it. But I suppose that's more VAC as well.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Having played on both PSN and XBL, I have noticed that there seems to be a LOT more hacks happening on PSN, hence the reason I stick with XBL.
Sorry Sony.

Six to one, half a dozen to the other.

Though you don't often hear about massive bans from Sony.

 

[Jaranja]

Ah, someone was telling me about the hackers being abundant on the PS3. Thank god I have it on PC.

I see what you did there.

OT: I like how they say they will help "anyone affected" once the PS3 becomes secure again.

What about the PC version. It feels like they abandoned it. But I suppose that's more VAC as well.

I did what?

 

[DTWolfwood]

Dedicated Servers with admin rights would just sort the whole thing, done.

this isn't about in game cheaters as its more about alteration of information (account modding) dedicated servers will do nothing if whatever is stat tracking is hacked.

Plus do they have client side (public) dedicated server on consoles at all?

 

[acer840]

I did what?

Never mind, I thought you were being sarcastic. My bad.

 

[Jaranja]

I did what?

Never mind, I thought you were being sarcastic. My bad.

I've probably come across 3 hackers in my year (probably over that) of having CoD4 on the PC.

 

[Aphex Demon]

Dedicated Servers with admin rights would just sort the whole thing, done.

this isn't about in game cheaters as its more about alteration of information (account modding) dedicated servers will do nothing if whatever is stat tracking is hacked.

Plus do they have client side (public) dedicated server on consoles at all?

True...

No, they dont, not for the 360, or the PS3 I dont think.

 

[acer840]

I did what?

Never mind, I thought you were being sarcastic. My bad.

I've probably come across 3 hackers in my year (probably over that) of having CoD4 on the PC.

Ahhhhhh, yeah. MW2 on PC, all day, a couple of days ago all I could find were games of hackers or hacked servers. Not fun dying every 3 seconds from unseen people half a map away.

 

[Jaranja]

I did what?

Never mind, I thought you were being sarcastic. My bad.

I've probably come across 3 hackers in my year (probably over that) of having CoD4 on the PC.

Ahhhhhh, yeah. MW2 on PC, all day, a couple of days ago all I could find were games of hackers or hacked servers. Not fun dying every 3 seconds from unseen people half a map away.

I don't see why you'd get MW2 on the PC. Isn't it just a bad port?

 

[acer840]

I did what?

Never mind, I thought you were being sarcastic. My bad.

I've probably come across 3 hackers in my year (probably over that) of having CoD4 on the PC.

Ahhhhhh, yeah. MW2 on PC, all day, a couple of days ago all I could find were games of hackers or hacked servers. Not fun dying every 3 seconds from unseen people half a map away.

I don't see why you'd get MW2 on the PC. Isn't it just a bad port?

I think the opposite actually. I'll be buggered if I can get CoD4 to work on PC, but MW2 works fine. And playing and having both the PS3 and PC version, I wouldn't say its a bad port no.

 

[silver wolf009]

While I don't own a PS3 or MW2/CoD4, I can back up the fact that Call of Duty gets hacked to hell. Screw 81923523 rounds survived on Der Riese. I really is a problem.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Robert Bowling is their "creative strategist" now?

Good. Good fucking move, guys.

Also, so, erm, don't hear Guerilla complaining, do I?

I don't see why you'd get MW2 on the PC. Isn't it just a bad port?

Well, no, not really, it's entirely playable. The problems are mostly based on the poor online support.

 

[archvile93]

These games will always be hacked by people who have a compulsive addiction to leveling up their internet dicks. There's really just not much you can do about it. I remember one obstacle course game where the leaderboards were based on the shortest time; the best was in the negatives.